While it’s true that careless posts about work can harm your professional reputation, it’s crucial to exercise caution when expressing opinions or complaints online.

On the flip side, Facebook can be a valuable tool for career growth if you use it to build meaningful connections with colleagues and clients. The effectiveness of this strategy will vary depending on your workplace culture and other factors, but some general guidelines apply universally.

Below are some tips on how to use Facebook effectively to gain the respect of your peers and superiors, and potentially improve your job standing.

Connecting with Work Colleagues on Facebook

Many people hesitate to add their bosses, coworkers, or clients on Facebook. The concern is usually about maintaining privacy and the freedom to post without work-related scrutiny. However, there are pros and cons to this approach.

Facebook can be a tool for career growth if used wisely. By connecting with people from work, you can share posts that may positively influence your career. But be cautious – posting content that offends your work connections could harm your professional standing. The key is to be thoughtful about what you share, and we’ll discuss how to do that in upcoming tips.

Initial connections with work contacts are crucial, but you don’t have to sacrifice your privacy. Facebook now offers advanced privacy settings (Improved Friend Lists) that allow you to control who sees your posts.

Improve Your Work-Life Balance on Social Media

While it’s tempting to only share work-related posts to impress your colleagues, it’s not the best approach. Overdoing it can make you seem insincere or too focused on your job. Instead, let your personality shine through by sharing aspects of your personal life as well.

Connecting on a personal level is crucial. Share photos or posts that show you have interests outside of work. This personal touch could even improve your chances of getting a promotion.

Many people think work and personal life should be separate, but your personality should be consistent in both. This consistency builds trust with those around you.

Related: How to Achieve Work-Life Balance

Unlock Networking Opportunities

Facebook is an excellent platform for expanding your professional network. You may not know colleagues from other departments well, but connecting on Facebook can deepen those relationships. You can chat, share posts, and discover common interests.

What’s the benefit? Firstly, it enhances your social life at work, providing a support system for tough times. These friends understand your work environment because they’re part of it too.

Secondly, a strong network can advance your career. Being well-connected within your organization increases your visibility. If you’re friends with someone in each department, you’re more likely to be recommended for new opportunities.

Lastly, a broad network can make your job easier, especially when you need favors from other departments.

Staying Updated with Your Network

One of the benefits of using Facebook for networking is that it keeps you updated about your friends, colleagues, and clients. Whenever you log in, you can see their latest status updates or photos, helping you stay in the loop about their lives.

Getting real-time updates allows you to understand what’s currently important to your professional contacts. Sometimes, they might not directly communicate these things to you. Being informed gives you the chance to engage with their posts and make a positive impression.

This feature also helps you initiate conversations and maintain ongoing relationships with your network.

For example, if a client posts about needing a particular service, you can offer your expertise or recommend someone who can help. This not only strengthens trust but also positions you as a go-to person for future consultations. You can even add potential clients to your network and engage with them when they show interest in your services.

Highlighting Your Skills and Knowledge

Facebook is a great platform for showcasing your skills and insights, especially if you’ve connected with work-related contacts. It’s an easy way to share your thoughts and establish yourself as a knowledgeable professional in your field.

However, be mindful of the difference between showcasing your skills and showing off. The key is moderation. Share your professional opinions occasionally, but don’t make it the sole focus of your posts.

Always maintain humility and openness. Aim for neutral posts and be receptive to any comments or feedback you may receive.

The post How to Leverage Facebook for Career Advancement appeared first on Hongkiat.

Before you dive headfirst into the freelancing world, it’s crucial to weigh both the advantages and drawbacks. This post aims to provide you with a comprehensive understanding of what freelancing entails, helping you make an informed decision.

Read Also:  Top Project Planning Tools Every Freelancer Should Know

Unmatched Time Flexibility

One of the most enticing aspects of freelancing is the flexibility it offers. Unlike traditional 9-to-5 jobs, freelancers have the liberty to work at their own pace and during the hours that suit them best. This flexibility can lead to increased job satisfaction and productivity.

However, this freedom comes with the responsibility of self-discipline. Without a structured schedule, you may find yourself scrambling to meet deadlines, leading to unnecessary stress and reduced quality of work.

Moreover, freelancers have the advantage of not having to navigate through the complexities of sick leave applications or endure a chilly office environment when unwell. Your well-being is entirely in your hands, making it easier to focus on recovery rather than workplace repercussions.

Create Your Ideal Workspace

Freelancing allows you to tailor your workspace according to your preferences. Whether you enjoy blasting rock music or taking frequent breaks to watch your favorite shows, the choice is yours. The absence of a confined office space offers a level of control that traditional employment simply cannot match.

Additionally, freelancing eliminates the need to engage in office politics. Without colleagues vying for promotions, the stress associated with workplace competition is significantly reduced. Your primary competitors are other freelancers, and given the vast market, this competition feels less immediate and stressful.

Enhanced Control Over Income

Working from home as a freelancer offers the opportunity to optimize your income. You save on commuting costs and time, and you may even reduce child care expenses if you can manage your work while caring for your children.

Unlike traditional employment, where salary increments and promotions are often subject to managerial reviews, your income as a freelancer is directly proportional to your efforts. You are in complete control of your financial growth, free from the constraints of office politics.

The Cost of Autonomy: Self-Discipline

While freelancing offers unparalleled freedom, it also demands a high level of self-discipline and motivation. Setting income goals is one thing; achieving them is another. The absence of a supervisory figure means you must be diligent in managing your time and meeting deadlines.

Complacency can be a significant pitfall for freelancers. Once you become accustomed to your newfound freedom, there’s a risk of neglecting your responsibilities, leading to missed deadlines and subpar work. For tips on staying productive, check out this article.

The Double-Edged Sword of Solitude and Independence

Freelancing often requires you to be a jack-of-all-trades. While this can be empowering, the lack of a support system or mentorship can be challenging. Online forums can offer some guidance, but they are not a substitute for professional advice.

Working alone can also lead to feelings of isolation, which can affect your motivation and overall well-being. It’s crucial to maintain a healthy social life outside of work to counteract this. Addressing loneliness is essential, as it can be a root cause of decreased life satisfaction.

The Intersection of Work and Personal Life

Freelancing often blurs the lines between work and personal life. While this can be liberating for some, it can also lead to stress and burnout. Challenges in one area can easily spill over into the other, making it vital to establish a healthy work-life balance.

If you’re considering the freelance path, it’s essential to weigh these factors carefully. Your satisfaction in both work and personal life should be in harmony for a fulfilling freelance career.

Is Freelancing the Right Choice for You?

Freelancing offers both opportunities and challenges. Before making a decision, assess whether the freelance lifestyle aligns with your personal and professional goals. For those curious about the future prospects of freelancing, this infographic offers valuable insights.

The post The Pros and Cons of Being a Freelancer appeared first on Hongkiat.

The etiquettes outlined below should not be seen as rigid laws that must be followed to the letter. Instead, I want to stress that they are merely suggestions designed to enrich our social interactions and experiences on Facebook. It’s essential to understand that social interactions do not lend themselves to a one-size-fits-all strategy. Therefore, I urge you to consider these guidelines thoughtfully, applying them as you find appropriate, and always with a touch of personal judgment!

Five Dos:

1. DM Private Matters Instead of Posting On Feed

As much as you may have exhibitionistic tendencies and want everyone to know your most intimate secrets, others may not share the same inclination. Your friends might not take it too kindly when you post what they did last night at your house party, or any other details that are understood to be kept between your closest friends.

The fact is, most of their Facebook friends will hear about it on such a public platform. The walls indeed have ears, especially so for the Facebook Feed. It’s best to keep these conversations behind closed doors in Facebook Messenger.

2. Call Rather Than Post Personal News

This isn’t just Facebook etiquette; it’s social etiquette or even common sense. If you need to inform your friends or family about some important and personal news (e.g., a death in the family), don’t declare it in the public domain. Facebook is a social networking site, and it’s supposed to be public. This means that people can find out what happened.

Another reason not to post is courtesy. It’s the same reason why you shouldn’t text (or even the phone) to break up with someone. It’s rude and insincere to convey important news, whether good or bad, without having some form of genuine communication through voice tones and body language.

3. Be Mindful of What You Post

When you have hundreds of friends and acquaintances on Facebook, you have people from all kinds of backgrounds, with different jobs, beliefs, personalities, etc. Updating your status with a general statement may seem harmless to you, but others may read it in a different light.

For example, you might make a remark about how advertisers con unsuspecting consumers into buying something they don’t need.

What you may not realize is that some of your friends in the advertising industry could see your status in their newsfeed. It’s a general statement, but they might think you are targeting them. Of course, it’s not going to be any fun if you’re going to consider all the possible misinterpretations before you post anything, but it’s wise to be mindful of it.

4. Reply to Comments Especially If They are Questions

You post a status, and your friends make comments and ‘like’ it. I guess the least you can do is acknowledge them by replying, especially when there are questions directed at you.

I’m not saying you should do it just for the sake of doing it, but add to their comments once in a while. If you ignore them all the time, chances are that they won’t bother with your status anymore, lest they look silly talking to a wall. It’s almost like karma.

5. Avoid Posting Comments on Every Post

If you’re stalking your friend, leave it at that. Don’t make a habit of commenting on everything your friends post, or they’ll start to get suspicious. Even if you say with all honesty that you are not stalking them, it’s not going to be easy for them to believe that their status updates always appear on your newsfeed.

It’s an open secret that everyone checks out their friends’ profiles every now and then, but to comment on everything is to admit that you are constantly checking up on them. What’s even worse is that your friend’s friends might notice as well, seeing that you are a ‘regular’ commenter. If you don’t wish to be labeled a pest, try to limit your comments somewhat.

Bonus: Be Careful with Your Tone

As with all other online communication, communicating on Facebook is mostly textual. We can neither hear the voice tone nor see the body language when the other person ‘speaks.’ In other words, it’s easy for someone to think you are being sarcastic when you are not, or to misunderstand you in some other way for that matter. To complicate things, everyone has their own typing style.

One way we can compensate for the lack of cues is to use emojis. It’s pretty limited, but experience has taught me that a simple smiley face after a sentence can do wonders in neutralizing any potential tension. Smile, and the whole world smiles with you :)

Five Don’ts:

1. Make Friend Requests to Strangers

Some people have this idea that the number of ‘friends’ you have on Facebook is a status of your popularity in real life. That may be true if these ‘friends’ are people whom you know offline, and not strangers whom you randomly add while browsing through the Facebook network.

The idea becomes warped when people add friends merely for the sake of boosting their ‘popularity indicator’ among their peers. That’s not cool. However, if you wish to add someone for a valid reason, such as getting to know a girl you have a crush on, do so with an introduction or through a mutual friend. Skipping that step only leaves a bad impression, which is the last thing you want.

2. Tag Your Friends in ‘Unglam’ Shots

Guys may take it lightly when they are tagged in photos that look as if they’ve just woken up from bed, thinking it’s a joke pulled off by their friends. For women, though, appearing ‘unglam’ means a lot more. Of course, this applies to some men as well. What you need to take from this rule is to be sensitive about who you might be tagging in photos, especially those shots that are obviously poorly taken.

3. Overshare Yourself

Checking out the updates on your newsfeed, you see the same friend updating his status over and over again. Not insightful ones, but just posts about what he’s doing every ten minutes. How exciting. You decide to hide his posts.

Sound familiar? Probably. It’s annoying because no one is really interested in their friends’ everyday mundane activities, yet they just keep popping up in their updates. Spice up your status updates a little. Instead of telling your friends you’re in the restroom taking a leak, share something interesting about yourself.

4. Vent About Your work

Facebook is a double-edged sword when it comes to its social networking capabilities. The boon is that it enables us to connect in an unprecedented manner with friends of friends of friends through the identification of mutual friendships. On the other hand, the bane is that there’s easily a way to gather information about you by passing through such layers one by one.

Even with your most stringent Facebook privacy settings, there’s still a risk that what you post can reach people you wouldn’t want it to reach, and your co-workers and boss are the last people you want to mess with. So, just play it safe and leave your venting for somewhere private.

5. Post Chain Status Updates

Remember those chain emails that demand you forward them to all of your friends or you’ll die a horrible, horrible death? Well, Facebook has a similar kind of chain, but usually for a good cause. Someone may post a status update about a social cause, encouraging those who read it to post the status too, so that their friends will get to read it and post it as well. This chain thus spreads the cause, raising public awareness.

The intention here is right, but sometimes too much of a good thing isn’t good. When you see your newsfeed updates filled with the same status, you get annoyed instead, and you may associate your negative emotion with that social cause.

Bonus: Flame Others

Everyone is entitled to state their own opinion on the free internet, so there’s no need to put anyone down just because you disagree (or worse, dislike the person). Sometimes I even see people criticizing the comments of a friend’s friend who replied to a post, even though they don’t know them. It’s embarrassing not only to yourself but to your friend as well.

In the spirit of good conversations, let’s keep this in mind in all our online communications, whether on Facebook, in forums, emails, etc. Don’t ruin it for everyone.

Conclusion

At the end of the day, it’s entirely up to us to follow these etiquette rules. I guess it’s about finding the balance between being fun and sensitive to everyone. On one hand, we shouldn’t restrict ourselves with rules and regulations that would limit the creativity and spontaneity of our social interactions.

On the other hand, we ought to be aware of the public nature of Facebook to protect our privacy, and at the same time, respect the fact that each one of us forms part of the Facebook experience for everyone else. Find the right balance, and you’ll not only improve that experience for yourself but also help others enjoy it as well!

The post Essential Facebook Etiquette: 10 Dos and Don’ts appeared first on Hongkiat.

However, everyone experiences periods of low energy or enthusiasm. It’s not uncommon to feel disheartened when freelancing isn’t going as planned or when it doesn’t offer the expected flexibility. That’s why it’s essential to understand what motivates freelancers like you.

As a part-time freelance blogger, I’ve encountered several common issues related to dwindling motivation. Fortunately, I’ve discovered several strategies that help me recharge when my energy levels are low. I’m eager to share these solutions with you in this post.

Reflect on Your Freelancing Journey

Always remember the reasons that led you to choose freelancing. Recalling your initial motivations can help you appreciate your current position, even when times are challenging. Many freelancers embark on this path seeking greater control over their schedules and the freedom to choose their projects.

However, it’s easy to fall into the trap of not communicating promptly with clients. This could be due to poor time management or a lack of motivation. If it’s the latter, it’s crucial to understand that your earnings are directly proportional to the time and effort you invest. High productivity is the key to a successful freelancing career.

Your performance doesn’t just impact your income; it also shapes your reputation within the freelancing community. A strong reputation for delivering quality work on time can lead to more job offers. This gives you the flexibility to choose projects that truly interest you!

As a freelancer, you’ll likely start at the bottom, which means you might not receive many project offers initially, making it difficult to earn a substantial income. However, staying motivated is crucial. Remind yourself that your hard work will eventually pay off with more and better job offers. As the saying goes, “When the going gets tough, the tough gets going.”

Keeping the Creative Spark Alive

Maintaining your creative edge can be challenging when you’re constantly under the pressure of deadlines. When the focus shifts to finishing a project within a tight schedule, the priority often becomes completion over creativity or aesthetics. This approach leaves little room to enjoy the very passion that led you to freelancing.

It’s crucial to nurture your passion, or it may gradually fade away. If you’re losing motivation, this could be the reason. Dedicate some time to explore designs related to your field of interest. Visit art museums or galleries. Sketch something just for the joy of it.

As long as you’re creating art for pleasure and not solely for work, you’ll keep your creative spark alive. Working relentlessly on your projects can easily snuff out this spark, as you may begin to associate your passion with stress.

Work can indeed create a complex dynamic between you and your passion. While you love your work, you may also resent the fact that your livelihood now depends on what was once just a hobby or a favorite pastime. The joy can quickly fade when a significant responsibility is attached to what was once a source of pure enjoyment.

Leveraging Flexibility as a Freelancer

One of the greatest benefits of freelancing is the flexibility it offers. Unlike many traditional jobs, freelancing allows you to set your own schedule. You have the freedom to take breaks, enjoy meals, or step away from your workspace whenever you choose. However, this freedom can also lead to procrastination, especially when you’re solely responsible for monitoring your own work.

To combat procrastination and maintain motivation, it’s important to allow yourself regular rest periods. Just as nutritionists recommend eating several small meals throughout the day to prevent unhealthy snacking, taking frequent short breaks can help manage your workload. This approach prevents you from becoming overwhelmed by long stretches of work and reduces the likelihood of taking an entire day off.

In addition to maintaining motivation, frequent breaks can enhance your productivity and focus. Psychologists have discovered a phenomenon known as the “primacy effect,” which suggests that we absorb and remember information most effectively at the beginning of a work session. Therefore, by taking several breaks, you’re essentially creating multiple “beginnings,” which can improve your overall work performance and mood.

In conclusion, the flexibility of freelancing can be a powerful tool for maintaining motivation and enhancing productivity when used wisely. This can lead to improved performance on your projects, providing further motivation to continue delivering high-quality work.

The post How to Stay Motivated as a Freelancer (When Energy is Low) appeared first on Hongkiat.

Your heart is filled with elation, yet a fleeting sensation of uncertainty lingers within you. As the days pass, this uncertainty grows, evolving from a mere concern into genuine anxiety.

Fear not! We are here to guide you through this process. If you haven’t yet explored our previous post detailing strategies for handling the 10 most common interview questions, we highly recommend doing so. These insights could prove invaluable. After extensive research and analysis of various interview tips available online, we have distilled five essential ‘truths’ about job interviews that you would be wise to consider before the significant day arrives.

Through a number of interview tips on the Net, I’ve come up with five ‘truths’ about job interviews that you should note prior to the big day itself.

1. Impress EVERYONE

Many interviewees are unaware that some organizations seek the opinions of receptionists when making hiring decisions. After all, formal interviews may not reveal the social skills that candidates may or may not possess. A well-rounded assessment might consider what happens behind the scenes, particularly how interviewees behave while waiting for their turn.

This is the moment when they meet other job applicants and the receptionist, providing an excellent opportunity for potential employers to evaluate their people skills in an informal setting.

Body Language Speaks

Receptionists can often discern whether an interviewee is well-prepared, and they may even have a rough gauge of the person’s personality based on their demeanor.

For instance, if you are fumbling through your interview notes or frequently visiting the restroom, the receptionist might interpret this as anxiety or insecurity.

On the other hand, if you enter the waiting area composed, with a friendly smile and a positive outlook, the receptionist will likely conclude that you are thoroughly prepared for the interview.

What Should You Do Then?

Simply behave as you would if you knew you were being watched or interviewed. Some interviewees tend to use those moments to rehearse or relax a bit before entering the room.

Little do they realize that they are being observed. As long as you don’t do anything strange or inappropriate, you won’t be marked down unnecessarily.

2. First Impressions Really Do Count

We all know that first impressions matter, especially when meeting someone new. This becomes even more significant during occasions like an interview, where someone is deliberately assessing you, scrutinizing your speech and body language.

In fact, the first five minutes of your interview are the critical moments for you to make an impression. Miss this opportunity, and you might find yourself losing the deal, even if you have submitted a top-notch resume.

One Chance to Nail It

Psychological studies have shown that it takes only seven to seventeen seconds to form that initial impression with someone new. In the context of interviews, where interviewers consciously remind themselves to stay objective, the first impression might take longer to form.

Nevertheless, the key takeaway is that the quicker you project yourself as a promising potential employee during the interview, the higher your chances of landing the job.

After all, not all interviewers are well-trained, making them susceptible to influences like the first impression you provide.

The Bare Necessities

There are several things you should be mindful of, and you’re likely already aware of them. Factors such as punctuality for the interview, adherence to the dress code, maintaining a straight yet relaxed posture, making eye contact, and smiling are essential in making a positive impression.

It’s also crucial to provide a compelling introduction of yourself when prompted by the interviewer. This is your opportunity to demonstrate confidence and passion for the job by varying your tone of voice and exhibiting appropriate body language.

3. Gestures Speak Louder Than Words

Non-verbal communication encompasses facial expressions, eye contact, hand movements, posture, and more. Social psychologists assert that such non-verbal communication constitutes nearly two-thirds of all communication between individuals. What this implies for you, as an interviewee, is that landing the job relies more on your physical movements than on what you articulate.

Of course, it’s only fair to acknowledge that a successful interview likely requires a combination of both non-verbal and verbal communication. It would indeed be peculiar to witness someone securing their dream job without uttering a single word during the interview!

Confidence Rules

The general guideline is to maintain a positive and upbeat attitude about yourself and the position for which you’re applying. Strive to be as confident as possible as you extend a firm handshake, introduce yourself, and address the questions methodically.

Additionally, it’s wise to be mindful of what you might do subconsciously when feeling anxious. Common signs of interview jitters include leg shaking, hair stroking, and finger tapping.

4. Know Your Resume Inside-Out

Remember, you’ve already submitted your resume, and the interviewer has read it prior to the interview. This means they are likely to question you based on that document.

The resume holds only the critical information that you want the reader to grasp. They will have the chance to delve into the details with you during the interview itself.

By the way, if you are looking for new ideas to make your resumes stand out, we suggest:

• How to Craft Professional Resume with ChatGPT
• 45 Creative Resumes to Seize Attention
• 25 other innovative ideas for resumes

Practice What You Preach

In addition to practicing how to answer the questions they will pose, know your resume like the back of your hand so you can cite evidence and concrete examples to support your claims. You may assert that you have rich, in-depth experience with customer service, but they will expect you to explain why and how.

This is when you should recall a time when you handled a very difficult customer successfully. If you have already thought of this example while reviewing your resume, relaying the incident will come easily.

Blow That Trumpet

Having examples of incidents when you exhibited a certain quality essential for the job is just one area to focus on.

Another aspect they are interested in hearing about is the figures in your list of achievements in your previous jobs or posts. For instance, how much increase in net profit have you contributed to the organizations you worked with previously? Such numbers provide evidence to substantiate your various claims. Anticipate questions targeting those parts of your resume that are relevant to the position you’ve applied for.

5. You’re Expected to Ask Questions

As the interview nears its end, you should anticipate the interviewer asking if you have any questions. Failing to ask any questions is a significant mistake, as it may reflect poorly on you. It can give the impression that you’re not enthusiastic enough about the job to inquire further. This moment is truly an opportunity for you to shine, but only if you ask the right questions.

Ask the Right Questions

First and foremost, avoid asking close-ended questions that can be answered with a simple YES or NO. While some interviewers may be kind enough to elaborate further, you can’t always count on that. Asking such questions may lead to an awkward silence, and chances are you won’t receive the answer you were seeking.

Secondly, be aware that some interviewers may evaluate you based on the nature of your questions. If your question is overly simple and the answer could have been found by exploring the organization’s website, it may indicate that you didn’t adequately prepare for the interview. However, if you demonstrate thorough research through your questions and present an intelligent inquiry, the interviewer is likely to be impressed, earning you additional points.

Conclusion

There are no hard and fast rules about the kinds of questions you should ask, but keep in mind that this is your last chance to seal the deal before the interview ends. On the other hand, if you have burning questions that need clarification, go ahead and ask them, even if they don’t sound impressive. After all, an interview is a bi-directional process that involves your participation to find the job that fits.

The post 5 Common Mistakes to Avoid in Your Next Interview appeared first on Hongkiat.

Every action you take can have consequences, especially when you’re the new person in the office. In your quest to fit in, it’s important to avoid the following ten actions during your first month at work.

1. Being Late for Work

Making a good impression starts from the first hours of the workday. Being late is generally frowned upon in the office. Always factor in extra time for potential issues like traffic jams, forgotten items, or parking difficulties, at least until you’re familiar with your commute. This way, you can arrive early on good days and still be on time when unexpected issues arise.

2. Being Arrogant or Cocky

Even if you hold a high position in your new job, the first few months are not the time to appear bossy. Take the time to learn and understand the work processes and culture of your new environment, while allowing your co-workers to get to know you. Use this crucial time to understand the norms of the office before implementing a management or work style that you find suitable.

3. Posting About Work on Social Media

In this digital age, information spreads quickly, often without your knowledge. During the critical early stages of your job, such information could make or break your career.

Always be mindful of the differences in work cultures and norms between your new and previous workplaces. Refrain from posting any work-related comments, positive or negative, on social media to avoid potential misunderstandings.

4. Remaining Silent and Pretending to be Ignorant

As the new person in the office, you’re expected to ask questions and make mistakes. Don’t hesitate to ask your colleagues even the most basic questions. Making assumptions about how things work can be risky.

Clear your doubts as they arise to prevent them from accumulating. People are generally more helpful when they understand you’re still learning your way around.

5. Participating in Gossip

Gossip is generally discouraged in the workplace for good reasons: it often carries incomplete or incorrect information, also known as rumors. Gossip can negatively impact company morale and relationships within the office. Avoid participating in gossip to prevent becoming a victim yourself.

6. Being Judgmental or Close-minded

Every organization has its own challenges that may seem trivial or absurd to a newcomer. The solutions may seem obvious, but change can be difficult for people who are comfortable with their current methods.

Avoid pointing out what you perceive as errors or stupidity, as it can lead to negative attention. Take time to understand the bigger picture before jumping to conclusions.

7. Flirting Excessively

People tend to judge you based on your initial behavior. Making advances on your co-workers during your probationary period may not be beneficial for your reputation, especially if someone else is interested in the same person.

Be charming and respectful, but avoid being overly aggressive in starting relationships. Focus on making a good impression on those who decide whether you keep your job.

8. Taking Sides

Office politics exist in almost every workplace. You may find that there are cliques or groups that move and think together. While it’s fine to align with co-workers who share your values and work style, remember that taking sides can create invisible boundaries. This can limit your opportunities to learn from a diverse range of people. It’s best to remain neutral and objective.

9. Overachieving

While it’s natural to want to impress your new bosses and colleagues, it’s important to go with the flow. If you consistently go above and beyond forevery task, you set a precedent that others may be expected to follow, potentially upsetting the balance in the office. It’s best not to overdo things. Show enough enthusiasm to be seen as a valuable team member, but not so much that you’re seen as a threat.

10. Revealing Too Much About Yourself

As the new person in the office, it’s not advisable to reveal too much about yourself, no matter how likable or sociable your colleagues may seem. You never know if someone might use that information against you. Information can fuel gossip. However, be friendly and polite to everyone.

Keep an open mind and avoid being judgmental when it comes to people you’ve just met. Some people take longer to warm up to you, so don’t take it personally if they seem distant at first. Engage in casual conversations with them. Over time, you’ll identify who’s trustworthy enough for you to share more about yourself, your strategies, and your future plans.

The post First Month Job Mistakes: Top 10 Things to Avoid for New Employees appeared first on Hongkiat.

But no matter how we use it, we’re all on Facebook to share information. Some people have over a thousand ‘friends’, but we know that not all friends are the same. Sometimes, you only want certain people to see your posts. But unless you’re always adjusting your privacy settings, most of your ‘friends’ will see most of your posts. So, is having more friends on Facebook a good thing?

Social Needs and Facebook Friends

Usually, when we think of a ‘small community’, we think of a close group of people we interact with regularly, like family and friends. But in a ‘large community’, it’s easy to lose that close feeling because there are so many people. This is when smaller groups start to form, and people outside these groups can feel left out.

This is similar to Facebook. The more ‘friends’ we have, the less we interact with most of them. You probably have a few ‘friends’ who regularly comment on your posts or chat with you. These are likely your close friends offline too.

The rest of your ‘friends’ on Facebook don’t really matter. They’re just random people who see your posts. You see their posts too, but you probably don’t care much about them, just like they probably don’t care much about your posts.

In fact, having fewer ‘friends’ might be better because your interactions with them will be more meaningful. It’s not enough to just see their posts, we want to interact with them. Just like in real life, we spend time with people we’re comfortable with. It’s the same online.

Sharing and Privacy

Gossip spreads fast in social networks. Nothing spreads news faster than word-of-mouth. But this can be a problem when your information is shared with people you don’t know. If you complain about work or clients, you could get in trouble if the wrong person hears about it. The more ‘friends’ you have, the easier it is for this to happen. You lose your privacy when you share too much, and there’s nothing you can do about it!

If you’re more careful about who you add as ‘friends’ on Facebook, your posts will have less impact on your reputation. Or you could just not post anything bad about anyone on Facebook.

Information Flow

Facebook isn’t just for friends, it’s also for acquaintances. The information you share with your ‘friends’ is what makes Facebook valuable. Just like you filter the news in the paper, you can filter your newsfeed to only see what interests you. The more ‘friends’ you have, the more information you get.

From this perspective, having more ‘friends’ is better for the person reading the newsfeed than the person sharing updates. But for the person sharing, the advantage is that they can influence more people with their posts. This is why fan pages exist. They aim to gather as many fans as possible to share information with. But there are always certain private details of your life which you’d prefer to share with only a select group of friends or family.

Quality or Quantity?

After reading this, you might see how the type of friends you have on Facebook depends on what you want from the social network. If you want to stay informed about the latest buzz, more friends are better. The same goes for users who want to spread certain messages. But if you want to maintain close ties with your existing friends and family, fewer friendsmeans better interaction. You don’t have to accept every friend request, especially from strangers or people you barely know or will never interact with.

The post The Facebook Dilemma: How Many Friends Are Enough? appeared first on Hongkiat.

So, how should we go about it? Proofreading methods can vary greatly, often depending on the individual blogger’s preferences. In fact, many of us don’t adhere to a specific procedure; we simply read through the content and use our best judgment to determine where revisions are necessary.

Given the ambiguity of this practice, I thought it would be beneficial to provide some general tips for proofreading your latest blog posts:

1. Reading Aloud

Consider engaging as many of your five senses as possible when proofreading your work. This approach can help you identify areas that may seem or sound incorrect. Reading your text aloud, rather than merely scanning it visually, allows you to hear the rhythm and flow of your words, sentences, and paragraphs. This dual-layered proofreading strategy can be quite effective.

Reading aloud is particularly crucial for blog posts, which are typically written in a conversational style. You want to ensure that your readers feel as if your writing is directly speaking to them. As you read aloud, try to put yourself in your reader’s shoes. Does the tone sound natural and engaging? If not, make the necessary adjustments to improve its readability and relatability.

2. Seek External Proofreading

Repeatedly reviewing your own work can sometimes lead to oversight of even the most glaring errors. This can occur due to complacency or simply because you may not recognize certain spelling or grammatical mistakes. This is where an external proofreader becomes invaluable, as they can identify errors that you may have overlooked.

Moreover, if you’ve been working on your blog post for an extended period, your perspective may become somewhat inflexible. Inviting someone with a fresh viewpoint to review your work can help ensure that your content flows smoothly.

Additionally, they may offer insights or suggest points that you might have missed, particularly if you’ve been deeply engrossed in meeting a deadline. If time permits, consider discussing the content with them. You may be pleasantly surprised by the innovative ideas that can emerge from such a dialogue.

3. Consider Your Target Audience

When you have a deep understanding of a specific subject, it’s easy to write in a way that may be difficult for others to comprehend. This happens because you’re familiar with the jargon and technical aspects of your topic, and you might unintentionally assume that your readers share this knowledge.

As a result, you could inadvertently alienate some of your target audience who might otherwise appreciate your content. To prevent this, it’s crucial to regularly assess whether your intended readers can easily understand your language and terminology. Review the terms you use in your text and consider whether they would be clear to the average reader without the need for an online dictionary.

A good practice is to fully spell out abbreviations and acronyms the first time you use them, providing the shortened form in parentheses. Also, make sure to define any specialized terms as needed. This will help your readers stay engaged and follow your content more easily.

4. Conciseness is Key

In my previous posts, I’ve consistently emphasized the importance of brevity, especially in the digital world. Online readers expect quick and immediate access to information. The more words you use, the more time it takes for your readers to understand your message. This could potentially lead to impatient readers switching to other blogs.

You might question whether shortening your posts would detract from the enjoyment of reading your blog, particularly if your readers find your content engaging. The answer to this largely depends on the purpose of your blog. If your primary aim is to provide information, your audience will expect you to deliver that efficiently.

Conversely, if your blog is primarily for entertainment, the quality of your content becomes paramount to your blog’s success. In this case, the length of your posts becomes less significant as long as you continue to captivate your audience.

However, most blogs fall somewhere between these two extremes. Therefore, it’s crucial to strike a balance between keeping your posts concise, informative, and entertaining.

5. Verify Your Data and Information

Even with impeccable spelling, grammar, and sentence structure, your credibility can be undermined if your data and information are inaccurate. This is particularly crucial when dealing with statistics. Ensure that the numbers align and that they are derived from trustworthy sources.

A good practice is to cite your sources, providing your readers with the confidence that your assumptions are not unfounded. If there are any doubts, they can always refer to the original sources for comprehensive details.

Regarding factual information, avoid making unusual claims (and presenting them as facts) unless you have substantial evidence to support them. Such extraordinary statements tend to attract more attention from readers due to their oddity.

Consequently, they are often subjected to more rigorous scrutiny. If your claim turns out to be false, it will be challenging to regain your readers’ trust in your future writings.

The post 5 Essential Proofreading Tips for Bloggers appeared first on Hongkiat.

Here are some tips to help us take a break from our hectic work schedules.

Tip 1: Learning When to Say “No”

It’s important to know when to say “no” to taking on additional work outside of your job scope. When you constantly help your colleagues with their work, it can lead to the assumption that it’s part of your responsibilities. This can become overwhelming and affect your ability to complete your own tasks effectively.

While some organizations may value employees who take on extra work, it’s important to find a balance between fulfilling your role and going beyond it. Prioritize completing your own job well before taking on additional tasks. By learning when to say “no,” you can simplify your work life and avoid unnecessary stress.

Tip 2: Don’t Aim for Perfection in Every Aspect of Your Job

When you have a job, there are certain parts of it that require perfection, but not everything does. It’s important to give yourself some flexibility and not stress over every little detail. If you try to be perfect in everything, you’ll end up overwhelmed and stressed out.

Instead, focus on the areas that require perfection and prioritize your efforts there. This doesn’t mean you’re giving up on excellence, just that you’re being realistic about where to put your energy. When you do well in your job overall, you’ll feel more satisfied and that positivity will spill over into your personal life.

Tip 3: Setting Personal Rules

Some people may be put off by the word “rules” because it sounds rigid and inflexible. However, when it comes to the things in life that we often sacrifice for work, it’s important to ensure that we spend not just time, but quality time on these activities. Just as we have to spend a designated amount of time at work each week, we should set aside time for other commitments.

In a sense, these “rules” will help us maintain a balanced life that doesn’t revolve solely around work. When we tell ourselves that we will go to bed by 11 p.m. every night, spend every Sunday with our family, and work out at least twice a week, these things are more likely to happen than if we simply say we’ll sleep early, have family time, and keep fit. Writing them down on paper will help us commit even more deeply.

By setting personal rules, we can prioritize the things that matter most to us and make sure they don’t get pushed aside by work. This can lead to a happier, more fulfilling life both inside and outside of the office.

Tip 4: Delegating Work

It’s easy to fall into the trap of trying to do everything yourself. However, to truly improve productivity and enjoy what you do, you must learn to entrust certain tasks to others. Identify the tasks that you excel at and enjoy doing, and delegate the rest to those around you.

It may seem logical to trust yourself more than others, but delegating work can actually lead to a more balanced work life. By focusing on what you do best, you can organize your work more effectively and achieve better results.

Remember, you don’t have to do everything alone. Trust in the abilities of those around you and delegate tasks accordingly.

Tip 5: Be Sociable, But Beware of Politics

Work takes up a significant portion of our time, so it’s beneficial to spend it optimally. Getting to know your colleagues outside of work can make your time in the office less challenging. As social animals, we need social support when the going gets tough. Additionally, this makes it easier to ask for help when needed.

One thing to be careful of is getting involved in office politics unknowingly. When socializing with people more, you may discover things you like or dislike about some coworkers. This can lead to forming or joining cliques and sticking with what your group believes in. Politics are inevitable in the workplace, but you can minimize them by making an effort to mingle with people from different groups.

Tip 6: Work Hard & Play Hard

Confucius said, “Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.”

What he meant was that if you love what you do, you will enjoy it so much that it won’t feel like work. That is great advice, but I still believe that work and play are distinct from each other. Once you accept that distinction, you can simplify your work-life by a notch.

As much as possible, when you’re out of the office, try to disconnect from work at home. Don’t bring work home with you. If that is not possible on a day-to-day basis, then consider taking a complete break from work during your vacation.

Communication technology has improved communication by leaps, but it has also created more stress for all workers. Switch off your mobile phone and resist checking your emails every fifteen minutes. Go out and enjoy yourself or attend to what is more important in your life.

Tip 7: Take Regular Breaks

Who would think of taking breaks when you have so many deadlines to meet? Most of us would be so absorbed in what we are doing and forget about them altogether. That’s all fine and dandy if we only get busy days once in a while, but if such tight schedules are habitual, it can have an overwhelming effect on your stress level.

It’s not just for the sake of yourself, but also for the sake of improving productivity. When you place sustained attention on a task, fatigue sets in, you get distracted, and make more mistakes. It ends up taking you much longer to finish the task. Taking short rests will rejuvenate your energy level and keep you motivated.

Many people do not realize the power of taking regular breaks and the damaging effect of not taking them. Sometimes, you are overwhelmed by work that you need to take a fifteen-minute tea break.

Tip 8: Have Something to Look Forward To

Some of us see work as a chore we slog through five days a week. For these people, work is drudgery, and they dread it. Time seems to crawl by every second of the day as they do what they hate. Work becomes a living hell.

But it doesn’t have to be this way. To simplify the pain of work, it helps to have something to look forward to at the end of the day, week, month, or year. Better still, try to connect the reason why you’re doing the work you dislike with what you look forward to. It could be that you’re working there because you’re fulfilling the needs of your family, whom you love to see after a long, hard day at work. Or you’re slogging your days away because you’re earning a trip to the Caribbean islands.

If you fail to derive enjoyment or find meaning from your work, then link your efforts to a certain cause outside work. You’ll realize that the days will get easier when you have a reason as to why you’re staying in your job, whether it’s lousy or not.

The post 8 Tips to Simplify Your Work life appeared first on Hongkiat.

Instead of venturing out to explore and experience the real world, we often choose the easy way out by sitting in front of the TV all day long. Such behavior calls for a tech detox, taking time off from some or most technology use.

To achieve this, the best solution is to help one appreciate the beauty of a world without technology. It is important to note that the goal is not to condemn all technology; rather, it is to create an awareness that technology alone does not make life complete.

1. Start Living in Your (Real) World

First, let’s return to the basics. Disconnect from the internet, turn off your mobile phones, and disengage from any other modern technologies that preoccupy you daily.

Intuitively, you know the activities I’m attempting to steer you away from: aimless browsing on Facebook and YouTube, excessive TV-watching that turns you into a couch potato, constant instant messaging, video gaming – unplug yourself from that world.

The goal of this exercise is to initiate the process of a tech detox. You must experience what the real world has to offer before you become motivated to adopt a less technology-dependent lifestyle.

As you begin to appreciate the richness of offline activities, such as meeting up with friends for heartfelt conversations (rather than texting over WhatsApp), spending time alone with your thoughts, practicing mindfulness in your current activities, and so on, you’ll become more receptive to the idea of living with less technology.

Going all out!

For some of you, you might want to go all out and cut yourselves off from most of these addictions at once. This could mean no TV, no computer, no Internet, and no mobile phones for a period of time (say, two weeks).

Others may prefer a slower approach, by limiting the amount of time spent on these devices per day or simply stopping the use of one particular technology for a while. It all depends on your preference and lifestyle.

2. Make Plans & Set Goals

Unless you are highly disciplined, it is likely that you will always need something to continually push you toward tech independence.

Just as effective dieting requires careful planning, a successful tech detox necessitates designing a program that includes goals with varying levels of difficulty. It is up to you to determine your approach, but remember to follow the SMART criteria: goals should be Specific, Measurable, Accurate, Realistic, and Timely.

Drawing up the Game Plan

First, consider questions such as, how will you spend the time that has been freed by eliminating technology?

In other words, explore alternatives to your tech-related activities. If all your hobbies revolve around technology, then it’s high time to find one that does not!

Don’t forget to reward yourself as well. Achieving your goals may inherently provide immense intrinsic satisfaction, but tangible gratifications, such as indulging in your favorite video game for a limited period before returning to detox, can also serve as a powerful motivational tool. Just ensure that you can tell yourself to stop when it’s time to do so.

3. Establish Healthy Habits

Old habits die hard. At times, it’s more than merely a tech addiction problem when you find yourself checking Facebook every other minute. This could be because the act is ingrained in your brain, similar to how you manage to brush your teeth while half-awake.

Even if you’re highly motivated and have devised an ideal plan for detoxification, habits can easily obstruct your progress. The great news is that, although bad habits are challenging to break, good habits can become equally resistant when cultivated over time.

Find New Hobbies

The caveat is that you will need to exercise patience in order to "reprogram" the way your mind functions. The most effective method to achieve this is by replacing your current habits with better ones, specifically non-technological alternative activities. Engage in reading a book or conversing about real-life topics with actual people.

By repeatedly making this conscious decision, these actions will eventually become second nature to you.

4. Tie Yourself to the Mast

For those familiar with Homer’s Odyssey, you may recall that Odysseus ordered his sailors to tie him tightly to the ship’s mast, and to ignore his pleas as he listened and reacted to the Sirens’ beautiful but deadly singing. The sailors followed his orders, and Odysseus became the only man to have heard the song of the sirens and survived.

Similarly, this tech detox will work if you diligently follow what you have planned out. However, concerning addiction, rationality will take a backseat when withdrawal symptoms appear. This is when you need to "tie yourself to the mast."

Keep Them Out of Reach

One extreme way would be to keep all your tech devices away so that you have no access to them. You would have no choice but to lead a tech-free life during that designated period. How about traveling to a less developed place where everyone is less dependent on technology?

Another way to accomplish this is by telling everyone your plans for a tech detox. That way, it will be harder for you to give yourself an excuse to quit (unless you are perfectly fine with explaining to everyone why you are a quitter).

In fact, why not announce it on Facebook or Twitter? That would be ironic, but judging from the crowds, it will be hard for you not to follow through.

5. Believe in the Power of Choice

When faced with the prospect of change, whether good or bad, humans tend to resist it. We justify maintaining the status quo by telling ourselves we have no choice but to stick to the old ways. However, the only constant in this world is change, and it is only by embracing it that we can truly possess the power of choice, as demonstrated by our growing dependence on technology.

It seems increasingly impossible for us to live a day without our computers, smartphones, tablets, and the internet. It may appear reasonable to accept this ‘reality’ and not challenge it by engaging in something potentially daunting, such as a ‘tech detox.’ However, it is precisely this submission that deprives us of our power and freedom to choose what is best for us, be it technological or non-technological.

Conclusion

The aim of a tech detox is not to denounce technology as inferior. Instead, the purpose of such a detox is to help us realize that technology is not the sole aspect our lives should depend on. We don’t need to spend all our time watching TV or using smartphones. A tech detox will demonstrate that there is life beyond digital technology.

The post 5-Step Guide to a Complete Tech Detox appeared first on Hongkiat.

The keyword in this definition is “persuade.” While selling a business to potential customers is a form of persuasion, it is only a subset of what copywriting entails. Blogging about your opinions can also be a form of persuasion, whether it be to persuade readers to your view, increase traffic flow to your site, or motivate others. As a freelance blogger myself, I firmly believe in the ability of words to inspire and even change people’s lives.

Regardless of the purpose of your copywriting, there are certain fundamentals that we can follow to hook our readers. Here are a few of them.”

1. Making it Conversational

Copywriting differs from other forms of writing, such as news writing or novels, as it aims to establish a personal connection with the reader by adopting a conversational tone.

When writing copy for blogs, it is essential to remember that your post may be read by thousands of people, but you should write as if you are addressing a single person. This is because each reader will be reading your post alone, and you don’t want to disrupt their reading flow.

This personal connection is particularly important when trying to persuade your reader. You must communicate in their language and connect with them through personal experiences, observations, and emotions, which are unique to humans.

To maintain a conversational atmosphere, use short paragraphs and limit each one to a single idea. This technique ensures that the flow of the conversation remains uninterrupted, and your ideas are easily absorbed and understood.

2. Be Clear, Concise, and to the Point

When it comes to copywriting for blogs, online readers are different from offline readers. With a wealth of information available at their fingertips, they can easily skip from one site to another if the first one is boring. A blog becomes tedious when it offers many words but little information.

The first rule is to keep sentences and paragraphs short. This makes your ideas clearer and turns your article into neatly organized, easy-to-read chunks. Use headings and subheadings to show the organization of your writing at first glance. If readers can’t immediately identify the general structure of your article, they may try other sites that are more systematic.

Minimize the use of jargon as it hinders understanding. Remember that on the internet, nobody wants to waste time figuring out information. Everyone wants it quick and fast.

3. Customer-Focused

Although the term “customer” seems to imply that you are selling a service or a product, it can also be generalized to selling ideas, solutions, and knowledge to your customers, also known as your readers. Therefore, you need to assess who your target audience is and what their needs are. Remember that you are selling and persuading others, so what you write must emphasize how your customers can benefit from reading it.

What kind of information do your readers want to receive from your blog? Do they want tips or solutions on how to troubleshoot their computer problems? Or are they looking for something that inspires and motivates their lives?

These questions will be answered once you understand who your target audience is. From then on, you will know what topics are sought after by them, down to the details of how you should structure your articles. Your research (if any) for topics will be more effective because you will know beforehand what interests them and what does not.

4. Start with Good Headlines

What is the first thing that any reader notices in an article? The headline! To encourage the reader to continue reading, your headline must be catchy enough to motivate further reading. As with sentences, keep your headline short (preferably seven words or less) so that the reader can understand what it’s about upon first reading.

There are many ways to lure readers in. You may use a witty headline or something that piques curiosity. The most common (and perhaps even foolproof) method is to state the benefit.

After all, as per #3, anyone reading the article is wondering “what’s in it for me.” Revealing the benefit right from the start would spur anyone to read on, so long as it’s what the readers want. Such headlines are straight to the point and clear to Internet readers, who, as we all know from point #2, are “fickle-minded” individuals.

5. Proofreading

Practice makes perfect, and the same goes for proofreading. In any type of writing, it is critical for the writer to reread the entire piece and ensure that it flows smoothly. Without a cohesive flow, it is difficult for the reader to establish a connection with the writer through the words, sentences, and paragraphs. Persuasion requires the reader to relate to what the writer is saying.

Furthermore, if the spelling and grammar are correct, the reliability of the article is less likely to be questioned. This has implications for the number of readers who will return to your blog for more entries.

In addition to proofreading your work yourself, why not have someone else read your post? Sometimes, when you spend too much time working on a specific piece, your mindset and perspective become rigid. You may fail to see your own mistakes and may not be able to detect a lack of flow. Having another person read your article, who has not seen it before, can provide unbiased, objective, and constructive feedback.

The post 5 Copywriting Fundamentals for Blogs appeared first on Hongkiat.

Yet, this convenience comes with a price tag. We should take a moment and ask ourselves what some of the things we may have sacrificed along the way are. That way, we can gain a proper perspective and approach the internet with caution to ensure that we don’t lose more than we gain.

1. Privacy

This is something all of us internet users are probably aware of, especially if we’re on social networking sites like Facebook. It used to be the case that stalkers had to resort to physical means to stalk their victims. Not anymore, with our greater reliance on the internet to provide us with entertainment, goods, information, etc.

Such dependence usually means we have to reveal bits and pieces about ourselves (i.e. contact details, credit card numbers, our preferences, etc.) in order to transact with the net. Privacy gets compromised as a result, and stalkers use that to their advantage.

Even if you resolve not to engage in any social networking sites by not signing up for one, photos of you or any other information about yourself may still end up on Facebook.

How? Well, as long as you have friends who are using Facebook or any such sites, they can always post things about you that are open to the rest of the world.

Did you get drunk at a party last night? Your friend (or enemy) snaps away with their mobile device and posts it on Facebook for the pleasure of the entire network.

Besides, you have probably provided your particulars to some internet company as you register for their newsletters, purchase their products online, etc. Who’s to say that the information you’ve given to them is kept confidential? Don’t you ever wonder how you receive random email spams? Cookies are also embedded within sites to track your mouse movements so that they can be analyzed for marketing purposes, or even for the government to track you.

Are we not all under tight surveillance here in cyberspace?

2. Reliability of Information

With millions of blogs and websites on the internet, one question we often ask is how accurate and reliable the information they provide is. Due to the convenience and low cost of publishing a blog or website, there seems to be a lack of accountability for what is being published.

The ease of modifying online publications (compared to offline publications like books and newsletters) makes putting out incorrect information less of an issue for the owner of the site. They can always amend mistakes at no cost.

Specialized journalists, who adhere to the accuracy of the stories they produce, are now replaced by bloggers who may not have such practices. The result is a massive number of different versions of the same story because there is no way to verify it without a trustworthy source (such as a news site). At worst, opinions can be misinterpreted as facts by readers online, who may then spread them as the gospel truth in social networking sites.

As internet users become aware of rumors masquerading as truths, we become skeptical of whatever we see or hear about, whether on Facebook or blogs.

This creates a generation of cynics among us who regard internet information as unreliable and shaky at best.

3. Copyrights

While some bloggers write their entries and pay little attention to the correctness of their information, others simply lift them from other sources and claim them as their own.

Plagiarism, as it is called, is rampant in cyberspace. You have probably seen the same content appearing on different websites with no references to the original source. The reason why many seem to be doing it is perhaps that the free concept of the internet has led us to believe that information is meant to be spread.

Such an ingrained mindset has a similar impact on our perspectives of paying for entertainment. Since the coming of Napster, purchasing music has become unnecessary for some of us. We can just download the latest albums of our favorite artists off the internet. Then came the popularity of movies, e-books, applications, and games, all of which could be downloaded illegally through file-sharing and bit-torrent applications.

Whether or not you support the free distribution of information and digital commodities like music, copyrights have never been so drastically infringed before the internet was available.

4. Genuine Communication

On one hand, the internet facilitates communication like no other technology has done before. Emails and chat messengers allow us to be in contact with anyone in the world as long as we are online.

In that sense, internet users like you and me are empowered with an enriched network of unprecedented accessibility. However, communication is more than just accessibility or contact ability. For the sake of connectivity, the internet has sacrificed quality and perhaps genuine communication.

Messages in the form of text can be hard to interpret. Most of us have experienced misunderstandings that arise from the ambiguity of emails or online chats. To make up for the lack of facial expressions and body language present in real life, emoticons naturally arise to minimize the confusion.

Nevertheless, it is still quite hard for one to feel as heard online as when one connects with another in real life. Yet, such quality communications are being more and more replaced by online communication. Again, it has to do with our dependence on the internet.

Shy individuals may hail such superficial online communication as their savior to a better social life. To that, I would say the internet provides a good initiation stage for them to get to know people.

For the friendship to progress further, it would still require a physical meet-up in order to truly connect. What happens is that these individuals end up relying on online communication so much that they become too comfortable with it to advance to offline conversations.

A virtual social life online is still a pseudo one.

5. Work/Life Balance

As accessibility, connectivity, and contact ability improve with the internet, work expectations increase. Customers expect companies to be available 24-hours a day online, which means that a fully functional website is a must.

The implication of such universal expectation is that employees have to access their work emails during the wee hours after office hours. The line between working time and personal time becomes blurred.

Even without the rising expectation of society at large, the mere fact that the internet is accessible 24/7 means that you can check your emails at any time outside of work. Your bosses know that for a fact and may use that to their advantage by sending you to work during weekends.

Their reason? Everybody’s doing it, so it’s expected of you to follow with the rest of the world.

But, of course, it may not happen that way because it depends on the company culture and policy on taking work home. What I’m saying is that the temptation is there in most workplaces to utilize the awesome accessibility of the internet to push work into our personal space. Sometimes even employees themselves want to take work back home, knowing that they can do it over the weekend.

If you want to maintain work/life balance, sometimes it’s necessary to draw that line and segregate work time from personal time.

One Thing the Internet Will Never Ruin: Creativity

However, one thing remains unruined by the internet and probably never will be: creativity.

It seems that there is no end to human creativity, especially when user-generated content is a primary characteristic of the internet. Looking at all the video mashups on YouTube, satirical blogs, podcasts, etc., it is clear that the internet will evolve along with humans’ unlimited creativity.

The beautiful thing about the internet is its ability to connect with the world, with everybody inspiring and sharing information with everyone else. Rather than undermining creativity, the internet cultivates and unites the world with it.

The post 5 Things the Internet May Have Ruined appeared first on Hongkiat.

The posting of statuses is the most basic kind of sharing because it only requires the use of words to express ourselves, our thoughts, and opinions.

I’m sure you’ve come across various types of Facebook status updates and might have realized that they can be categorized into different genres. If you’ve been observant, you would see that some of your friends tend to post a similar kind of post.

This is probably what makes social networking sites so interesting and addictive; we get to infer a person’s character and personality from their posts and even learn to appreciate the individual differences in perspectives.

Ever wonder what type of Facebooker you are? Here are ten of the most common I’ve come across:

Recommended Reading: Essential Facebook Etiquette: 10 Dos And Don’ts

1. The Announcers

These Facebookers seem to treat their Facebook wall as someone to report their status to. From the moment they wake to the moment they lay back in the warmth of their beds at the end of the day, you can see that they broadcast to the network what they’re up to at any given moment.

Not everyone on the list will want to know what you’re doing now, so it may be just a matter of time before they block you from their newsfeed. I suppose it’s best to keep that to a minimum or it’ll just be noise to others.

2. The Status Reporters

These Facebookers seem to treat their Facebook wall as someone to report their status to. From the moment they wake to the moment they lay back in the warmth of their beds at the end of the day, you can see that they broadcast to the network what they’re up to at any given moment.

Not everyone in the list will want to know what you’re doing now, so it may be just a matter of time before they block you from their newsfeed. I suppose it’s best to keep that to a minimal or it’ll just be noise to others.

3. The Bloggers

It used to be the case that status updates were limited to 160 characters. Then the limit was increased to 420, 500, and even 5,000 characters. As of November 2011, the limit is a whopping 60,000! Now, people can post their entire blog entry as their status updates, and this is exactly what bloggers (in the context of Facebook users) do. They simply tell everyone about how their day went and go on and on, sometimes without realizing that not many will be fascinated by the nitty-gritty details. Due to the broadcasting nature of status updates, people within their network have no choice but to see them on their newsfeed, unless they block them, which they probably will if it borders on being annoying.

4. The Braggarts & Show-offs

Have you ever tried to boast about your accomplishments while keeping it modest to others? It can be quite an art. Yet, when done properly, others will find you less annoying than someone who can’t seem to stay humble with their words. It’s the same with Facebook users; if they wish to advertise themselves every now and then, they must do it subtly, lest they get labeled as braggarts and show-offs.

I’m all for people being proud of their achievements in life and wanting to share them with the rest of the world. But when it comes to telling everyone, every time, that you’re great in so many different aspects, you create a reputation – a bad one, for yourself. That’s how it is with braggarts and show-offs and their self-promoting tendencies. Many of their status updates center around what they’re good at (imaginary or real, it doesn’t matter).

My advice is this: Keep it subtle and don’t overdo it.

5. The Quoters & ‘Lyricists’

Quoters repeat the words of famous individuals, while “Lyricists” quote song lyrics in their status updates. In both circumstances, the updates aren’t exactly their own words.

Nevertheless, when they include the words of others in their updates, it usually relates to their circumstances or at least their thoughts. Sometimes, such updates serve as puzzles to some, requiring their imaginative interpretation to understand what is really meant by the update.

6. The Philosophers

Philosophers are similar to Quoters and Lyricists in that they often create an aura of mystery with their statuses. The major difference is that they don’t simply copy and paste someone else’s words; they create their own quotes. These Facebookers tend to be an introspective bunch who like to reflect on their lives and come up with something abstract yet conclusive from their musings.

I must say I like their status updates because they sound genuine. In fact, I myself tend to fall under this category. From time to time, such posts make a lot of sense to me because they relate to life as a whole. I can’t say the same for others; some may find such posts irritating as they don’t like to be preached at.

7. The Complaint Kings & Queens

There is a lot of negative energy coming from this kind of Facebook users because their status updates revolve around what is wrong in their lives. Their status updates tend to encourage others to complain about the same things that they are complaining about, be it the government or the traffic. Some of these rants can get pretty vulgar in an attempt to draw attention from others.

When a particular Facebook user is a chronic complainer, his or her friends may soon realize this fact and stop supporting their ’causes’. It gets to the point that they think the user is only complaining for the sake of complaining, so they stop commenting or ‘liking’ the angry statuses. Generally speaking, people don’t go to Facebook to get worked up over life’s stressors, so it’s just a matter of time before these Complaint Kings and Queens get isolated.

8. The EMOs or Self-Pitiers

These are yet another group of Facebookers who thrive on negative energy. Similar to Complaint Kings & Queens, they believe that the world is against them. However, they take a more defensive stance, seeking sympathy from their friends on the network to side with them.

Of course, I’m not saying that all Facebookers who post negative status updates are people who desperately want others to pity them. Even if they do, it’s perfectly fine to seek some comfort and assurance from our dearest friends from time to time. I guess the same principle applies: what annoys Facebookers is the chronic posting of such negative updates, which I had mentioned earlier, as it’s not what people log in to Facebook to see.

9. The Puzzlers

Posts by Puzzlers tend to be very ambiguous and can be interpreted in many different ways. Sometimes the intention is to subtly get back at someone, while at other times, the update is just a reflection of what’s on their mind at the moment. As you can see from the example above, it can sound a little psychotic.

I suppose Facebookers who do this get a kick from the variety of feedback they may receive as a result of their updates. After all, such updates tend to draw much attention from curious friends within their network. However, when done too frequently, some of these friends may get tired of it and stop commenting altogether.

10. The Comedians

Perhaps the most likable kind of updates come from the Comedians. After all, most people log in to Facebook to be entertained in a lighthearted manner. Many of us don’t want to hear about others feeling sorry for themselves or preaching philosophy to us. Humorous status updates seem more appealing because we just want a break from our daily stresses.

A lighthearted approach to life is perhaps the best philosophy for some. I think that when it comes to Facebook, people log in to temporarily escape from something, be it a boring and mundane task or a particularly stressful day.

When we see humor on our newsfeed, it puts our life into perspective. After maybe half an hour of aimless surfing on Facebook (provided we don’t get addicted to it!), we can be back in the right mood to handle what we were dealing with before.

The post 10 Common Types of Facebook Updates appeared first on Hongkiat.

All the information we obtain online – the emails, news feeds, tweets, social networking statuses, etc. – can make us feel a little overwhelmed. If we don’t have some form of organization in our online life, it will be hard to stay away long enough to live out our offline life.

I believe that we ought to distance ourselves from our online life to experience the richness of the offline world. How do we do that? By simplifying what we deal with online on a day-to-day basis. Not only will it help make us more efficient with our online activities, but it will also give us some time off to get away from our matters on the web.

Here are nine tips you might consider using to help straighten out the mess.

1. Block Out Distractions

There you are, working on your latest report that needs to be submitted by the end of the day. You probably have either Facebook or some instant messaging chat going on in the background.

What usually follows is switching between windows every few minutes to check out Facebook updates, the latest tweets, or even replying to that blinking taskbar from your chat app. Personally, I feel that this keeps me going when the task at hand gets too boring.

On the other hand, I know how much more I could accomplish if I placed all my attention on the work to be done and removed all unnecessary distractions. If you don’t want your online life to interfere with whatever you have to do, take my advice and put them aside.

Despite being able to connect and obtain information like never before, such benefits can actually backfire and become a liability if you find yourself addicted to being connected all the time.

2. Leverage Cloud Computing

Cloud computing is currently trending for good reasons. Instead of storing data on a fixed storage device like a hard drive or thumb drive, cloud computing allows you to store it on the internet, in an online storage device. This way, whenever you are connected to the internet on any device, you will still have access to all your vital information.

Cloud computing enables you to be mobile. Storing all your data online offers unprecedented convenience. You don’t have to carry around storage devices and worry about misplacing them or forgetting to bring them from one venue to another.

Secondly, you can access all your data anywhere an internet connection is available and switch from one connected device to the next. Online life is made simpler with file-sharing apps like Dropbox and synchronization services like Google Sync, Google Drive, or Amazon Cloud Drive.

3. Minimizing Accounts

A simple solution is to reduce the number of accounts you hold. If you have multiple social networking and email accounts for different purposes (e.g., work, family, friends), it can be difficult to manage them individually and ensure you are using the correct account to contact people.

Additionally, unless you use the same password for each account (which is not recommended), you may struggle to remember passwords.

Adopt a minimalist approach to simplify your online presence. Ideally, limit yourself to no more than two social networking and email accounts each, or consider accessing all your social networking sites through a desktop app.

4. Manage Your Notifications/Updates

Make sure to preserve any HTML codes. Subscribing to too many RSS feeds can be overwhelming, as can receiving daily notifications on your smartphone about the latest updates on Facebook, new app add-ons, and other clutter.

Remember that each notification takes your attention away from what you’re doing. If you want a simple and efficient online experience, you don’t want unnecessary interruptions. Configure your notification settings to filter out only what you really need to know.

5. Designate Time for Online Tasks

I have an unhealthy tendency to check my inbox, Facebook, news sites, and so on every 5-15 minutes, even when I’m occupied with something on my computer. Sitting in front of a screen has conditioned me to do my routine tasks even as I am working on my own assignments.

Multitasking is good at times, but I hardly think repetitive checking is productive. It’s pretty obvious that these actions are robbing us of valuable time. Why not get our work done before we go check out the latest gossip on Facebook? The idea is to set aside some time to handle all our online tasks, perhaps at the end of the day when we can get all the updates for the day.

6. Unsubscribe from Email Lists

We often get subscribed to various email lists when we purchase or register for products and services. This is how companies market their latest products or update us on their activities. After a while, we may realize that many of these emails do not provide us with the information we want, but we subscribed earlier because we thought they might be useful eventually.

So, we instinctively delete those emails from our inbox when we recognize the sender. However, why not just unsubscribe from their mailing list? If your inbox is often flooded with spam, you will be surprised at how good it feels to only receive emails that you want to read.

7. Clear Your Inbox

Stopping unnecessary incoming emails is one thing, but clearing your inbox is another. Put read emails into relevant folders if necessary, but keep the inbox clean. It should only contain unread emails.

Clearing your inbox requires discipline that you must impose on yourself. This means that once you receive an email that requires your action, you must act on it – reply, forward, follow up, double-check, confirm, etc. – and be done with it as soon as possible.

Afterward, you can archive the email and feel a sense of satisfaction when you realize your inbox is empty until the next round of emails flows in. Once you have such a system in place, your online world will be more simplified, knowing that you don’t have to work on emails anymore.

Read also: Gmail Advanced Search – Ultimate Guide

8. Use Password Managers

For those with many online accounts, I bet that most of you reuse the same username and password because it’s not easy to remember all of them. However, this is not safe because if one of your accounts is hacked, the rest of them can be compromised as well.

A solution to this problem is to use password managers to remember your passwords. They are actually more secure than manually entering your passwords because they protect you from keyloggers that can capture your keystrokes.

Moreover, password managers compare the current site’s URL to the stored sites’ URL, which helps prevent phishing and pharming attacks. In addition to these security features, most password managers also assist in filling out lengthy web forms that you may encounter. Consider getting and setting up a password manager to better protect your accounts.

9. Take Timeouts or Days Off

Try to schedule timeouts from the internet every day or even on days off. If you are connected all the time, you will feel like you are always on the go, ready to jump into whatever emails or tasks you receive.

Everyone needs a break and to enjoy quality time away from such tension. Take an hour or so of quality offline time each day or a day during the weekends. Just switch off from the net. You will realize that you feel much more energetic and alive when you are moving around and talking to people.

Conclusion

Social interactions offline are much more valuable than those made on instant messengers or social networking sites. Similarly, nothing done in front of a computer screen can substitute for an awesome workout under the sun. The online aspect of your life should complement your offline world, not replace it. Simplify it, and you’ll see that it can work wonders for you.

The post 9 Ideas to Simplify Your Online Life appeared first on Hongkiat.

The mind going blank, partial recalls and tip-of-the-tongue phenomena, or freezing up at the most crucial moment are what students dread the most. If this describes you, you need all the help you can get.

We will go through some of the best ways to optimize your memory for academic excellence. Of course, academics aren’t everything, but so long as there are tests, you will probably need these tricks.

Keep an open mind about the techniques, and who knows, you might find a powerful tool to help sharpen your mind and memory.

1. VARK Learning Styles

VARK learning styles is a model created by Neil Fleming. The gist of the learning theory is that we each have a preferred mode of learning, which can be capitalized to maximize our learning potential.

The VARK model states that people learn best through four different styles:

• seeing (Visual)
• hearing (Aural)
• Reading and/or writing words
• touching or doing (Kinesthetic)

Once you have identified your learning style, you can then adjust your study style. Note, however, that most people do not have only one exclusive preferred learning style; in most cases, they tend to be multimodal, their learning approach lying between two or more types – e.g., visual and aural.

How to Optimize This Style

Questionnaires have been developed to assess how you learn best, and many of these can be done online for free – you can try Vark-Learn. Once you have determined your style of learning, you can cater your note-taking in class, revisions for exams, test-taking strategies to suit your style.

For instance, if you have a visual affinity, highlighting texts or drawing figures or symbols will help you with the comprehension of the learning materials.

Similarly, if you are an auditory type of learner, your learning strategies should include discussions will fellow students on topics covered during lectures (or paying more attention in class!).

2. Mind Mapping / Concept Maps

Popularized by Tony Buzan in the 1970s, mind mapping is a way of transforming content into a visually appealing diagram using ideas, words and concepts linked to each other.

It’s based on the notion that people learn by means of associating one idea with another.

How to Optimize This Style

Doing up a mind map is a very intuitive activity. Start off with drawing a single topic or idea in the middle of a blank paper and expand on the subtopics with branches and sub-branches, keeping in mind to connect each of them with lines back to the center.

When you draw the mind map with different colors representing categories or the levels of the categorizations, it is easier to differentiate and organize information into clusters. This enhances information comprehension.

Draw as many images and use as many colors as possible to make it more interesting and fun. Unlike in most learning modes where the left part of your brain works overtime, the creative right portion of your brain is also applied!

From goal-setting and brainstorming to revision notes, mind maps can be used in a variety of ways.

Here’s a walkthrough on how you can start drawing mind maps. If you find mind mapping time-consuming, here‘s how to speed up the process.

3. Flashcards (Practice Testing)

Apart from serving as your guide for presentations in tutorial classes, flashcards can be used to aid your learning, especially in memorization and the active recalling of facts. One side of the card can be used to put in a question, while the other side can be used with the answer.

It is especially effective when learning a new language – with the new word, you’re learning placed on one side of the cards and the other side with the word in a familiar language.

When you’re prompted with the latter, you are to produce the translation of the same word in the new language or vice versa.

How to Optimize This Style

How frequently should one be tested? Here, the principle of spaced repetition seems relevant, where one should take into account the spacing effect (where more items can be remembered better if they are studied across a longer span of time).

One strategy is to extend the review interval when these cards are recalled successfully. Specific systems that incorporate the spaced repetition approach have been developed, such as the popular Leitner system.

If you rather learn on the go with your smartphone or tablet, there are also tons of apps out there to serve your flashcard needs.

4. Mental Imagery / Visualization

Research has shown that students who were asked to visualize content in science text perform better in comprehension tests than those who simply read the text. Images work better because they are more tangible than words, and thus easier to remember.

Memories of past events are stored in visual formats without conscious effort, indicating that our brain has a tendency to "learn" through images. The only problem with employing mental imagery in your learning materials is that they must first be imagery-friendly.

The use of mental imagery is particularly helpful in learning vocabulary or a new language.

How to Optimize This Style

The key to visualization or mental imagery is exaggeration and elaboration. The more vivid, memorable, and embroiled with emotions the image is, the easier it is to ‘peg’ and code into memory.

It works even for remembering names or biological terms. There are no hard and fast rules as to how the images should appear in your mind; the key is a shift in your mindset to use your imagination.

Let it run wild!

5. Keyword Mnemonic

Keyword mnemonic works when learning a foreign-language vocabulary or new terminologies. Using word association with mental imagery helps you remember words better.

What you do is find similar-sounding keywords that you are familiar with and create a mental image that connects it with the new word. This helps you encode the new word into your memory.

How to Optimize This Style

A simple example will be the word ‘pain‘ which means bread or loaf in French. Imagining a loaf of bread crying out in pain, knowing it is going to be toast soon, gives you a mental image linking ‘pain’ with ‘bread’. When you need to recall the new vocabulary, the image will come to mind more easily.

Check out some useful information on how you can apply this if you need some help with your French or Spanish classes.

6. Speed Reading

There’s nothing as invaluable as speed reading when you have tons to read up on. The average person reads between 125 – 250 words per minute because most of us intuitively read out "loud" in our minds, word-by-word, which ironically slows down our text comprehension.

The idea behind speed reading is to unlearn that conventional way of reading and to allow our eyes to sweep through words, sentences, and paragraphs for general understanding.

How to Optimize This Style

As this video demonstrates, one trick is to say ‘aeiou’ or ‘123′ aloud as we read, so that you won’t pronounce the words in your mind. This forces your eyes to glance across the words.

Another technique is to use a pen to guide your eye movements across the text. You can start off with left-to-right movement for each line of text and let your eyes move along with the pen.

Once you’re comfortable, you can then experiment with various movements such as right-to-left, zig-zagging across the page, or even moving the pen down the center. You’ll reach a point where you don’t even need a pen or your finger as a guide.

With enough practice, you can actually read at an above-average rate of 500 – 1000 words per minute!

7. Method of Loci

Otherwise known as Memory Palace, the Journey Method or the Roman Room technique, the Method of Loci can be your best ally when it comes to presentations.

It was actually an ancient memory strategy used by the Romans to give long speeches without using any notes.

It involves quite a bit of visualization. It uses your spatial memory to link random items that you wish to remember to a physical environment you are familiar with.

As you picture yourself walking through a path across your environment, the words, ideas or anything you wish to remember to begin to unfold in your mind because you have ‘pegged’ them to those familiar landmarks you come across.

How to Optimize This Style

One way to apply this method to your presentations is to make a list of key points for all your slides and then tag each of them to specific furniture in your house or landmarks you see along the way from your dorm to your classroom.

During your rehearsal of the presentation, imagine yourself walking through these familiar places and have the points coming out to you in sequential order, like your slides. They flow easily into your mind as you see yourself mentally walking through the environment during the actual presentation.

It can also be applied during exam revisions that require you to recall key points and ideas before you can start your essays. The more creative the visualization, the more memorable it becomes.

8. Rhymes & Songs

Music helps people remember better, I believe you can still remember songs, jingles, and radio ads you’ve listened to a few years back even though you haven’t heard them recently.

The secret is that it additionally encodes the things you need to memorize in auditory and rhythmic format and hence brings to use your auditory and musical memory.

This technique is not only favorable to the musically inclined but also works for us normal folks who learned ABCs by singing along to the “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” tune.

Sure, it might help if you’re more of an auditory learner (see #1 on VARK Learning Styles), but it would certainly benefit anyone who has ever learned a song from listening to it constantly.

How to Optimize This Style

Academically, it would be especially helpful when memorizing facts, figures, formulas, dates, etc. You can choose from a few nursery rhymes like Jack and Jill, Humpty-Dumpty, and Mary had a Little Lamb; fit the lyrics to the details you need to cram into your head before you actually sing it aloud.

Once again, be inventive. Make the new lyrics bizarre and comical. If you’re good at this, consider rapping and even body movements. It would be a new and deeper layer of memory encoding.

When you need to retrieve the details during tests, all you need to do is to sing the song in your head, and voila!

9. Acronym / Acrostic Mnemonic

Besides sing-alongs to nursery rhymes, the use of acrostic mnemonics has also been a large part of our earliest learning experiences. This concept is based on remembering the first letters of the words you want to remember.

Your earliest grade school teachers may have taught you some acronyms like Roy G. Biv for the color sequence of a rainbow or HOMES, which refers to the Great Lakes in North America.

How to Optimize This Style

The simplicity of this mnemonic is its greatest strength. Acronyms are found everywhere (e.g., "VARK" in #1) because they help us frame long words into single letters for easier recollection.

Each letter of the newly formulated acronym acts as a cue for the entire word, so it requires less cognitive load to remember.

Here’s how to choose between an acronym or an acrostic phrase or sentence:

If the first letters of each word to be memorized doesn’t form a meaningful or pronounceable acronym (e.g., EADGBE for the strings on a guitar), use an acrostic phrase instead that makes more sense (e.g., Eat all dead gophers before Easter).

10. Chunking & Grouping

Local telephone numbers have around 7 digits in most parts of the world because a majority of people have a short-term memory of up to 9 things at any moment. However, we can bypass this by means of chunking or grouping information.

Given that we can only memorize and recall from a range of 5 to 9 (magical number seven) items, what we can do is to consolidate a long list of things to remember into five to nine chunks and then break them down even further.

For example, in remembering a phone number like 2398741, we can break them up into 2 or 3 portions like 239-8741 or 23-98-741 because it’s a lot simpler to recall three chunks of two to three digits than to commit seven single digits to memory.

How to Optimize This Style

The key is to organize the information you need to remember into a maximum of 9 concepts. This usually means listing all the critical terms and key ideas on a piece of paper.

Next, you can put in the definitions for each term before assembling them under the umbrella of five to nine concepts (typically by chapters) that are covered in the exam or test.

Then, expand each of the terms or ideas into five or more sub-branches (then to more sub-sub branches). The end product will be 9 concepts by 9 sub-branches by 9 sub-sub-branches and so forth up to the ninth level! (Kinda reminds you of the mind-map technique, doesn’t it?)

This can be likened to a very efficient filing system. Want more tips to chunk and cram? Check this page.

Wrapping Up

A lot of these methods can be used not only for studies but also for discussions or presentations at work. It helps you harness your memory power and lets you organize your thoughts in a more systematic manner.

The post 10 Study Methods to Supercharge Your Mind appeared first on Hongkiat.